Husker volleyball tries to live up to expectations against Cyclones

Nebraska’s confidence and success has dipped and ducked all season long, but the team’s expectations have not changed.

The Cornhuskers’ three-set loss to Michigan to open the season created doubt among the team about how good it was.

Now Nebraska is on a five-match winning streak and is in a tie for second place in the Big 12 Conference standings with Iowa State.

NU will welcome in the No. 14 Cyclones to the NU Coliseum tonight at 7.

“That confidence has been restored, but that’s going to be tested (tonight),” NU coach John Cook said. “I certainly like where we’re at right now as opposed to where we were four weeks ago.”

The Huskers spent the early part of the season trying to find a signature win but continued to fall short.

Losses early in the conference schedule at Texas A&M and at home against Texas had Nebraska ranked No. 10 in the final poll of September.

Since the loss against the Aggies, the Huskers have won all three of their road matches, highlighted by a three-set sweep of No. 19 Baylor.

“We always have high expectations,” Cook said. “That’s why our early season losses and losing to A&M rocked us. Our players take it hard when we don’t live up to them, but they wouldn’t want it any other way.”

In order to get the confidence and success back to equal with the expectations that come with playing volleyball at Nebraska, the Huskers have been focusing on what they can do to make the team better.

“I don’t really like to think about expectations,” NU captain Kori Cooper said. “We just really want to focus on what we can do better and what we can work on and how we can improve our side.”

During Nebraska’s two conference losses, the team averaged 47.5 total errors per match but have dropped that number down to 30.2 during the current winning streak.

NU (14-4, 7-2 Big 12) has worked its way back up to No. 5 in the weekly rankings and can take sole possession of second place in the Big 12 with a victory tonight.

Cook said the Huskers have gained back most of the confidence they lost early in the season. Cooper said, though, that the team can’t get caught up in the success and has to continue to prepare, especially for a tough Cyclone team that is riding a six-match winning streak.

“We want to continue to practice and play with a sense of urgency,” Cooper said. “I think if we can hold on to that, we can continue that success.”

Cook said that in previous years, Nebraska’s goal was to maintain its level of play throughout the season and constantly live up to the high expectations. This year, he said he sees his team improving to the point where they peak right around NCAA tournament time.

“I like our progress,” Cook said. “I see it everyday in practice; we are getting better. I think this team has a chance to continue to improve throughout the whole season.”

Such progress will be important as the season wears on, and the Huskers have increasingly less time to establish themselves in the conference.

Cook said that matches like tonight’s against Iowa State have become more important – so much so that the coach’s message to the team is becoming a little redundant.

“Coach Cook said that last week was separation week. Yesterday at practice, he said this week was separation week,” Cooper said. “We are starting to think that every week in the Big 12 is going to be a separation week. Every match right now is a big match for us, on the road or at home.”

dougburger@

dailynebraskan.com